Despite modern clinical advances, infections continue to cause significant neonatal morbidity and mortality, especially in small preterm neonates. According to the World Health Organization, infections, including sepsis, pneumonia, tetanus and diarrhea, account for about 36% of the 3.3 million neonatal deaths worldwide per year. The neonatal immune system is functionally immature. Diagnosis of infections in the neonate can be challenging because the symptoms can be subtle and non-specific. Although many infections respond well to antibiotics, delay in antibiotic therapies can lead to rapid progression of infections and the development of very serious conditions such as neonatal sepsis. Untreated neonatal sepsis is invariably fatal. Mortality rates for sepsis in antibiotic-treated infants range between 5% and 60% with the highest rates reported by the lowest income countries. There is a continuing need for new strategies and agents for the treatment and prevention of infections in infants.